


The Bath

by The_KLF



Category: Castle
Genre: E's stuff, F/M, Rick Castle's inner monologue, fanart prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-02-05 02:18:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1801780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_KLF/pseuds/The_KLF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Originally posted at ffn.</p><p>Inspired by E's painting “moments” - this one's for you, E.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bath

There were often days, or should I say nights, when Kate got home from an incredibly long day at work and all she could think of was getting into a slightly-too-hot bath, sinking down into the bubbles and sweating out the thought of the paperwork-filled day to come. It took me a while, at least a year after we first started living together maybe, but eventually I could recognise the signs. On those days, I'd leave the precinct early for home, run the bath and make dinner in time for her return a couple of hours later.

Before I figured it out, however, there was this one time... she called it an incident, but I prefer to think it was an unconscious act on my part. Anyway, I'd been at home all day, chained to my laptop by my harpy publisher for not getting a chapter in on time. It had been a productive, if stressful day, and by about half eight, nine o'clock, I'd realised it was dark and managed to get my chapter sent off. 

Not to mention that Nikki had been chasing bad guys who were always one step ahead of her, so she was rattling around my brain being all pissed at me.

So I got up from my desk, stretched out my back, and wandered to the en suite to run myself a bath with plenty of bubbles. (And I mean plenty, none of this thin film of pretend bubbles for Rick Castle. I always use three types of bubble bath, one for colour, one for scent, and one for size of bubbles.) I went back to my closet and got undressed, put my big, fluffy, white robe on and went back into the bathroom to check the depth and temperature of the water. The bubbles were of a satisfactorily large size, and the water plenty deep enough so I turned off the taps.

Then my stomach growled. Not unusual, since I'd forgotten to eat lunch (also not unusual when I'm writing), so off to the fridge I went for a snack, and found some chopped up vegetables Kate had left in there. Carrot sticks in hand, I wandered back to the bathroom, pausing in my office to check my emails, making sure Gina had received my chapter so I could actually relax. When I saw she had, I went through the bedroom and into the bathroom.

The carrot sticks ended up on the floor when I was taken aback by my very beautiful, very naked, very soon to be wife in my bath tub. She would say that I shrieked like a girl, but I prefer to think that I had a natural reaction to a sudden shock. 

Anyway. 

After I'd coloured the air blue with my expletives, she just gave me one of her looks, the kind that she only uses when there's no one else around, and I'm not ashamed to say that it melted my heart. Her day had clearly been just as trying as mine. I tiptoed over the carrot sticks to perch on the edge of the tub, rested my hand on the opposite side and drew my fingers through the bubbles.

I rested my forehead on hers and she smiled. “Thanks for running a bath for me,” she'd said, and poked her tongue behind her teeth in that cute way she does when she's trying not to laugh and blush at the same time. She nudged me back to my feet with a push of her head, and scooted herself forward in the bath so I could get in behind her. 

And from then on, The Great Castle Bath Tradition began.

Except, usually without the carrot sticks.


End file.
